February 2018 – Page 2

Bun Rieu from Phuong Nga 2

February 12, 2018 mmm-yoso Vietnamese Restaurants

I am forever indebted to all the folks who send me recommendations. In the comments section of my revisits post on Suppanee and Pho Xpress, "Elle" asked if I had tried the Bun Rieu at the newest location of Phuong Nga. Bun Rieu? I'd seen the new signage for this place when we returned from our last trip in December. Since Van Hoa closed its doors back in fall of 2016; it became, first Pho & Banh Cuon Ha Long, which then became Pho Huong Viet for a few months. I never even had a shot at visiting. Then it became Pho 87 for a brief period.

Since this space had become more or less of a revolving door and having been to the original location of Phuong Nga a few times, I just kinda put it on the backburner. Even though folks have told me that Phuong Nga has gotten better over the years. Well, I didn't know this location served Bun Rieu. So, the very weekend after Elle's comment, I headed over.

The interior of the place remains basically unchanged from the locations last couple of iterations.

Except that the place was fairly busy, on a Sunday morning.

When I opened the menu, I cracked up. There are basically only two things on the menu. About ten different variations of banh cuon and bun rieu. I found this to be quite refreshing. In Vietnam, and many other countries, you do one or two things and do them well; that's all you need.

So, I ordered my Bun Rieu and was quite impressed with what arrived at the table.

As impressed as I was with that rather cumbersome bowl of noodle soup. I was even more struck by the accompanying veggies. It was all there; shredded morning glory, shredded banana blossom, tai to – red perilla, green Vietnamese balm (rau kinh gioi), as well as the usual suspects. And of course, there was a little container of fermented shrimp paste!

The broth was light, at least by my standards and was on the sweet side. I like a bit more heft to my broth along with more tanginess. The shrimp paste helped a bunch. The noodles were wonderfully slippery with just the right amount of pull. I love tomatoes and the fried tofu in this dish.

The "crab cakes" were large, tender, but mostly pork. The cha lua was….well cha lua, squeaky, with a mild porkiness to it. There was one lovely piece of stewed pork rib with some meat on it. It was really good. As I dug deeper into the bowl, I bit on a small umami bomb. Turned out there was some dried shrimp in the broth….these were also quite tasty.

Is this the best bun rieu I've ever had? Well, no. Do I think it might be the best bun rieu in San Diego at the moment? Yes. Why don't you be the judge and check it out. Under eight bucks is not a bad investment for trying this.

Phuong Nga 2
4016 54th St
San Diego, CA 92105

Thanks so much for the recommendation Elle!

Amsterdam – Rijsttafel at Indonesian Kitchen

February 11, 2018 mmm-yoso Amsterdam, Indonesian Restaurants & Food, Netherlands, Travel

It was already dark when we arrived in Amsterdam. Somehow we found our way to the fantastic apartment we were staying at. We enjoyed the location, walking distance to much of Amsterdam, yet in more of a residential area in the Jordaan. In other words, you wouldn't be smelling the "cash crop" while walking to the corner grocery, if you know what I mean. Our hosts were amazing; they left us beverages and water….and got the Missus hooked on Stroopwafels, even showing Her the correct way to have them with your tea/coffee. We were asked what dining plans we had for our stay. I'd made two reservations for dinner, but not for the eve of our arrival. I mentioned wanting to try Rijsttafel ("Rice Table") the product of Dutch Colonialism in Indonesia. Our host quickly got on the phone and made us reservations at his favorite spot; named Indonesian Kitchen.

It was about a 20 minute walk from the apartment. Which wasn't bad. The Missus thought it was rather cold, but after Tromsø I thought it felt downright balmy. The tiny restaurant is located on the lower level along Herengracht.

It's quite a discreet location, especially at night. We basically found it because of the menu posted along the sidewalk.

The place was indeed packed, but tucked alongside the wall was a small two-top with a reserved sign on it. Our table. Because of the tight confines, I was very discreet with regards to taking photos. The last thing I wanted to do was interrupt anyone's meal.

Of course we went with the Rijstaffel. I was later told that the portions here were on the smaller side, but this was more than enough food for us. I was also told that the chef here used to work at Amsterdam's only Michelin starred Indonesian Restaurant.

I started with a Bintang, which predictably tasted like Heineken.

The meal started off with three appetizers. This might have been our favorite part of the meal, especially the scallops which were perfectly seared, still tender and moist inside. And the whitefish which was almost buttery.

The mango salad was refreshing. The peanuts really added that nice earthiness to the dish, cutting the sweet-acidity.

Next up was a fish soup, which was fine. I expected a bit more spiciness and sour tones.

But for some reason we found this to be rather bland.

Next up was a big bowl of rice and the first foursome of dishes arrived.

The Beef Rendang finally had the chili kick I was looking for; the lamb chops were perfectly cooked, still slightly rare in the middle, but the sweet soy just overwhelmed the dish…much too sweet. The chicken curry was quite bland. The second beef dish was pretty mild as well.

The second foursome arrived a few seconds later.

The item on the bottom left was delicious, a bitter vegetable in a wonderful dressing. The prawns were a bit over-cooked but the spicy sauce was indeed nice and spicy, and it had been seasoned quite well.

The vegetable curry that accompanied the dish was pretty bland; though the flavor of the veggies shown thru.

Service was wonderful, friendly and very pleasant. We'd end up taking most of this with us and had it for lunch the next day.

Indonesian Kitchen
Herengracht 287
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

We were glad to have been able to try out some Indonesian food during our all too short visit to Amsterdam.

Amsterdam itself is quite amusing. We really got a kick out of the signage and some of the sometimes oddball things we saw. The Missus could not stop laughing at the blanket placed over the student depicted in the sculpture of the Dutch Teacher and Politician Theo Thijssen off Brouwersgracht. I guess they wanted to make sure the young lad didn't get cold.

Some of the shops were also quite adorable.

This one is called the Cow "Museum"….which was actually a shop.

We got back to the apartment, the Missus set to work making a cup of tea which was nicely provided and of course those Stroopwafels……

Tomorrow was going to be a busy day…….

Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday Stuffs – Boiling Passion Becoming Focus BBQ, Emerald Reopens, and Happenings at Taisho

February 10, 2018 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants

A trio of things I noticed around Kearny Mesa.

Boiling Passion becoming Focus BBQ:

Well Boiling Passion made it nearly two years. But I'm sure with all of the hot pot places opening, other would be closing.

The Missus told me this looks like a skewer and drinking place.

If you're keeping score since 2012; Viet Bakery and Pho (2012-2014), V Bakery (2014), Pho Paradise (Dec 2014 – Jan 2016), Boiling Passion (2016 – 2018)

3904 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Emerald Reopens:

I noted in the comments of my post on Emerald closing; that I'd heard they were reopening under new ownership. And so I drove by earlier in the week.

And yes, they've reopened under new ownership. Be interesting to see how things are.

3709 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Interesting Happenings at Taisho:

Without a doubt a favorite of ours. On a visit with the Missus last month, we thought we noticed a familiar face helping Taka out.

And yes, it was this familiar face!

Apparently, the really great guy from Yakyudori in Nagoya got his work visa and will be grilling up here in San Diego! So that means two classically training Yakitori Chefs.

We were so surprised to see him, and he us. Really friendly and nice guy. The last time we were in Nagoya and Yakyudori was full, he called and then walked us over to Hinotez 2.

For now, my understanding is that he is working on his English. Then Taisho is thinking about expanding their hours.

It's great to have him in the mix….though there's that thing about saying, "me better than Taka" when we were in Nagoya! Lol!

Yakitori Taisho
5185 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Happy Hour at Et Voila! and Tribute Pizza

February 8, 2018 mmm-yoso French Restaurants, Pizza

Just a quick post with mostly photos of two of our favorite Happy Hour places.

Et Voila!:

You could say Et Voila is the Missus's favorite little restaurant. We've gotten into the habit of having happy hour here just about every other week.

First off; the Huckleberry Bourbon is half price ($7) during HH.

And we've found our "happy rotation" of three dishes. They fry things really well here and that Pork Terrine reminds us of France.

Which makes for a nice light dinner for us.

We've tried a bunch of other items on the Happy Hour; but we've settled on those three.

Et Voilà!
3015 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116
Happy Hour:
Sun – Fri 430pm – 7pm
Saturday 430pm – 6pm

Tribute Pizza:

Another favorite of the Missus. The drill here is to get the Biancoverde with Pepperoni during HH; it's under ten bucks.

And heck; the Meat, Cheese, and Veg board, always with the three veggies, and usually two cheese, unless there's something we like with regards to charcuterie.

It's served with the Foccacia of the day….some of which are really great.

So, even though I want that Sea Salt Focaccia with 'Nduja, there's just no way I can put that away.

Tribute Pizza
3077 N Park Way
San Diego, CA 92104
Happy Hour:
Tues – Fri 4pm – 6pm

Tromsø – Dinner at Mathallen

February 7, 2018 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Fine Dining, Nordic/Scandanvian Food and Restaurants, Norway, Seafood, Travel

We'd had a fun day exploring Tromsø. It was so different from San Diego. Polar night is fascinating and a bit disorienting as noon seems like dusk and by 2pm it looks like had fallen. We really only had time for one dinner in Tromsø since the previous evening we'd been "Chasing the Aurora". We had decided to stay close to the apartment, just kind of chill and relax, and had made dinner reservations at the highly regarded Mathallen. Locally sourced ingredients and they had something on the menu I wanted to try….and no, it's not reindeer.

We had early reservations, which really didn't matter, since it already was so dark it felt like 9pm.

The menu was really small, with only four starters and three mains.

And like almost every other restaurant we had dinner at in Norway, they had an open kitchen.

We love the bread in Scandanavia and Mathallen was no exception. Also, I had wanted to visit Mack Brewery, founded in 1877, it is the northernmost brewery in the world. But we had run out of time, so I settled for a Mack Pilsner at Mathallen. Not very distinctive in flavor; very light and easy to drink.

The Missus started with the King Crab Soup (185 NOK – about $22/US). Yes, that's right, this bowl of soup was over twenty bucks.

Not too much crab, but the soup was nice and rich and obviously made with a very good seafood stock. Loved the texture which coated the tongue quite nicely.

We just couldn't seem to get enough pickled herring, so I ordered the Christmas Herring (155 NOK – $18.50/US).

This was delici-yoso!!! Just a couple of bites, but man, the herring melted in your mouth. It wasn't fishy in the least; very savory, and I'm thinking the Aquavit really added a nice touch of sweetness.

The Missus went with the "Catch of the Day", Cod (320 NOK – about $39/US).

She enjoyed it and said it was nicely cooked.

Since we were in Norway, I really wanted to try Lutefisk, which is made by air-drying fish, usually cod. A few weeks (yes weeks) before serving it is soaked in water for a week, then in lye (!!!) for two days. At which time it's pretty much poisonous. It is then soaked in water for another ten days to make edible.

I ordered the Lutefisk (575 NOK – $70/US). Yep, about seventy bucks US…..yikes!

The process gives the fish a jelly like texture, which was a bit odd. At least you can't complain about dry fish here, eh? Apparently, during the last set of soaking, the fish becomes so hydrated that you don't need to add any liquid to "boil" the fish! It also has a fairly strong smell; but not too bad. The flavor is fairly mild, on the briny salty side. It definitely needed the lardons and mustard sauce for flavor. Those brown shavings are Brunost, a brown "cheese" that is made from milk, cream, and whey. It has a very interesting slightly sweet and yeasty flavor. The mashed peas were very bland, the potatoes, simply done were delicious.

It was an interesting meal, the service was fine, not as friendly as at other places in Scandanavia. And heck, I'm not opposed to having lutefisk again…….

Mathallen
Grønnegata 58-60
Tromsø, Norway
Hours:
Tues – Sat 1130am – 11pm

We took the short walk back to the apartment and relaxed. I just sat at the window and watched the snow flurries come in.

Our flight from Tromsø was scheduled for 1030 am. We got up, packed and walked over to the stop for the airport bus.

It was 8am in the morning……

And it looked like midnight. We watched these guys working on the roof of a building across from the stop. Man, I sure wouldn't want to be doing that during the winter.

The airport in Tromsø is fairly small.

But SAS actually has a small lounge.

Where we were able to grab breakfast.

While staring off into the snow……

I'm not sure we'll ever be back in Tromsø, but we really enjoyed our time here. It was a great experience, but we were now looking ahead.

Next stop…..Amsterdam.

Turo Turo Tuesdays – Revisits to Mama Cinia Rice & Noodles and Nanay’s Best BBQ

February 6, 2018 mmm-yoso Filipino Restaurants, Sisig

Two places I'd been wanting to revisit; with two massive lunches.

Mama Cinia Rice & Noodles:

**** Mama Cinia has closed

I hadn't been back since the couple of visits when they first opened in 2016. I'd actually been wanting to go for the Mami; but still haven't made it there after 3pm. Anyway, we took the "long way" back to the office.

I actually bought this to share, which I did. It fed three. The lechon kawale was on the dry side and the skin was hard in some places and going soggy in others. It had been sitting too long. The Sisig was out of balance and in my opinion needed more vinegar tones, the pork was too lean and chopped too thick. It did have a decent spicy kick though. The item that surprised me the most was the kaldereta kambing, the goat stew. Nice tangy tomato, gamey goat. Which while a bit on the tough side, was not bad. The rice was a bit too dry.

Yeah, I still need to return for the Mami….if they still have it. Really friendly service. I understand that they've reduced their hours.

Mama Cinia Rice & Noodles
9178 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Nanay's Best BBQ:

Another place on my "list". While I know it's still basically Tem's, I've only had the food here once since the name change and it was dropped off by a friend of mine.

I gotta say, the pork BBQ here was better than what I've had before. While still a bit on the chewy side, it had a nice sweetness from the sauce they pour over things. It's grilled so there that additional layer of light smokiness as well.

I didn't enjoy the Sisig as much.

It's basically the same pork as the BBQ chopped up and stir fried. Not much there in terms of vinegar or spice. It was basically a stir fry and pretty bland for sisig.

Like Mama Cinia, the rice here was on the dry side.

It was pretty much "all business" here.

Nanay's Best BBQ
6715 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92121

So there you go….just in case you're hungry…..way to much food for me these days, so I end up sharing with a couple of folks.

Bar Bodega – Happy Hour and Lunch

February 5, 2018 mmm-yoso Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine

**** Bar Bodega has closed

The Missus really wanted a change of pace; yes, Et Voila is on about every other week, though mostly for Happy Hour (I need to do an updated post), ditto Tribute Pizza. Our last couple of visits to Tiger Tiger were less than pleasing. I've really been missing all of the great food we had in Spain, so I suggested Bar Bodega in Little Italy.

It's a fairly tiny restaurant and yes, it's in Little Italy, but we've been able to find parking rather easily during Happy Hour times; between 4 and 6pm Sundays to Thursdays.

Service here on all our visits has been cheerful and friendly.

On our two visits we tried a couple of happy hour items and a regular menu item. I really wouldn't call this tapas in the traditional sense; it's basically Cali-tapas.

The Missus's favorite dish; we ordered this twice, were the Albondigas ($10 – Happy Hour).

The first time it came with a baguette, the second time without. The Missus loved the hint of "heat" in this and also the texture, which hinted at having a decent amount of filler. Not a bad thing mind you. I really like the tomato sauce, great acid, slight sweetness….I wish we had bread the second time around.

In addition to being quite photogenic, we enjoyed the rather petite Lamb Barbacoa Tacos ($8).

Decent gameyness, not too salty, good spice, that avocado puree was an excellent foil for the rich meat. We really didn't care for the blue corn tortillas; which were beautiful, but very crumbly and not up to the task of being a vessel for the lamb.

The Roasted Brussel Sprouts ($8 – Happy Hour) were a mixed bag.

We both enjoyed the croutons which added a nice crunch to the dish. The brussel sprouts were a bit over-cooked for the Missus….but that's the case at most places. The brussel sprouts were tossed with what seemed like Caesar Salad dressing with shaved parmesan cheese which added salt to the dish. Still, in spite of the dressing, this could have used something more savory and salty….I use lardons and bacon fat for my brussels…..I think the Missus was looking for that kind of flavor and richness.

The Patatas Bravas ($6 – Happy Hour) were interesting.

These really looked like what I do with my garlic potatoes; boiled first and in this case deep fried. The crunchy-creamy texture was lovely. The sauce was a bit too mild for our taste, not enough garlic, heat, smokiness. Good portion size though. The sauce was also on the side and the potatoes weren't nicely coated with it. Making it more like an aioli for frites.

We were split on the Devilled Eggs ($5 – Happy Hour).

The Chorizo is quite tasty, but this was really salty. And for some reason it tasted like pickled eggs, which I love; but just not for devilled eggs. The Missus loves devilled eggs in almost all shapes and forms, so in spite of being sodium heavy, She still enjoyed this.

On one visit we ordered the Champignons Al Ajillo ($8)

While the mushrooms were nicely prepared, the sauce was really acidic, which pretty much killed any other flavor in the dish. We had to ask for some olive oil to temper the acidity. I'd also have appreciated more garlic flavor…….and not needing to add olive oil.

To be perfectly honest, my favorite part of both meals was the Vermut Blanco……the sweet, floral, tones with a hint of spices took me back to our favorite meals in Seville.

The Missus also enjoyed Her sangria here as well.

A few weeks after these visits, I had to take my car in for servicing. Like I mentioned in my post on Pho Xpress, these days, the visits have to be either on holidays or weekends. On this day, I knew it was going to take a while for my car, so I caught the trolley and eventually ended up in Little Italy. I decided to grab lunch at Bar Bodega.

Because of the season, I was a bit hesitant when ordering the Gazpacho ($8). But it was fairly warm so I thought it would be great item to have with lunch.

Man, this was super thick, thicker than my Salmorejo. It was way too pasty. It was also much too salty and the cheese in this made it even more salty. It definitely needed more cucumber to balance out the flavors. The avocado was a nice touch, but I really didn't care for the texture nor the amount of salt in this dish.

In direct contrast, the pulpo in the Octopus Tacos ($8) could used more salt.

But the texture of the octopus was perfect; it just needed some umph….. At least due to the low amount of moisture in the fillings, the tortillas held together.

So, what to say about Bar Bodega? We loved the service, the Missus enjoys the albondigas. The items seemed a bit hit or miss in terms of seasoning, though other than that gazpacho, the technique and presentation was very nice. We may drop by again one of these days.

Bar Bodega
1980 Kettner Blvd
San Diego, CA 92101
Open 1130am – 10pm Daily

Kanazawa – Japanese Breakfast at Hotel Nikko, Omi-cho Market (again), and Oyama Shrine

February 3, 2018 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Kanazawa and Ishikawa Prefecture, Markets & Grocers, Travel

Both the Missus and I were really enjoying our stay in Kanazawa. In terms of prices, we both found that Kanazawa was very affordable. For the price of a mid-level hotel in Tokyo, we could stay at the Hotel Nikko and the price included breakfast. Over the years, I've mentioned my love of Japanese breakfast, and how it triggers great memories for me. And these days the Missus enjoys it as well.

And the Japanese breakfast option at the Hotel Nikko is no slouch either. You have choice of western or Japanese breakfast. You know what we chose, right?

It's a rather stylish – garden like surrounding.

Though the setting is rather simple as are the tables and chairs.

And, like I said, breakfast is no slouch……

You have a "breakfast set" of your choice along with buffet items.

At times I found myself wondering; "is this really breakfast"…..

I'm glad it really was……

What a way to start the day.

Hotel Nikko Kanazawa
2-15-1 Honmachi
Kanazawa 920-0853, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan

Of course, after such a hearty and delicious breakfast, the Missus would have me walking all day to burn off the calories. So we quickly headed out.

All paths for us during our short stay went thru Omi-cho Market. And just like the previous day we really enjoyed wandering and browsing.

The morning was a fun time because it was less busy and you could really check out the seafood and produce on sale.

It is indeed "Kanazawa's Kitchen". We even noticed a place we'd end up stopping at for lunch.

We exited at the rear of the market and skirted the walls of Kanazawa Castle. We eventually came to the back entrance of Oyama Shrine. The shrine is well known for its distinctive gate, which was once the gate to the palace of Kanazawa Castle.

Along with the mixed Japanese-Chinese influences, the gate also features Dutch style stained glass windows on the upper level. In fact, the upper two levels once were part of a lighthouse! And the lightning rod at the top is claimed to be the oldest in Japan.

This Shinto Shrine was built by Maeda Toshinaga to honor his father Maeda Toshiie who was the granted and was the first ruler of the Kaga (Kanazawa) Han. He was lauded for his skills with the Japanese spear known as the yari. And as you can see, this statue of him proudly holds that spear.

At this time of the day, the grounds of the shrine were empty, so we really had a chance to appreciate the peacefulness and tranquility.

The gardens actually predate the shrine, which was moved here in 1873.

There are several very distinct statues on the grounds of Oyama Shrine; like this one.

After a fairly hefty breakfast, it was quite relaxing to walk around the grounds of Oyama Shrine.

But the day was still young and it was time to explore a bit more.

Exploring Tromsø and Lunch from Mathallen Deli

February 2, 2018 mmm-yoso Nordic/Scandanvian Food and Restaurants, Norway, Travel

Because of polar winter, it was really hard to tell what time it was when we awoke. It had snowed quite a bit the night before.

This is what the apartment's parking lot looked like as we headed out.

I had planned two nights in Tromsø just in case we missed seeing the Aurora Borealis on the first night. So, since we'd been rather successful the night before we had a free day to just wander around. Most of Tromsø is located on an island (Tromsøya) and we wanted to see what options for tours and such were available, so we headed down to the TI.

Storgata and Kirkegata are two of the main streets in this city of about 70,000 people. We'd prepared rather well for this trip; I found that my silk base layer, in spite of being very light (a plus when travelling light), was actually quite warm. I only needed the bottom layer during our time in Norway, but the top layer was used during the whole trip. So we walked along the streets down to the TI near the port area.

Along the way we passed Tromsø Domkirka (Tromsø Cathedral), the northernmost Protestant Cathedral in the world.

The Cathedral was completed in 1861. And can hold 800 people.

It started snowing a bit as we neared the TI.

This is a memorial for Richard With a Norweigan businessman and politician who was born in Tromsø. You can see the snow as it blew by the memorial stone.

And yet, this didn't bother us much…..we were enjoying the novelty of it all. Also, the rather stark grey and white made lights and colors really stand out.

I wasn't quite sure what the significance of the statue of famous Norweigan explorer Roald Amundsen was to Tromsø.

Until I read that he lived his final years in Tromsø. In 1928 set off on a rescue mission, it was his last expedition as his plane crashed and the remains of the crew were never found.

We got to the TI and inquired about some tours; but most were either all day affairs or something we really weren't interested in doing. The really nice young man suggested walking across the Tromsø Bridge to visit the Arctic Cathedral. So we decided on doing that. So, that's the bridge and the cathedral from where we were at the port.

So we headed off……

It really didn't take too long to reach the very striking Ishavskatedralen (Arctic Cathedral).

You get a great view of the city from here.

Though I was distracted by the rather random "Artic Phone Booth".

I think the stark background really made the red color of the phone booth really stand out.

Meanwhile, the Missus was distracted by the trees.

We really had a great time just walking around and taking photos. Of a place so different from San Diego.

After a short while we decided to head on back.

While crossing the bridge I looked up. I saw the dark clouds approaching and said "oh-uh". Just as the high winds and flurries hit us.

I think the cars crossing on the bridge must have thought, "there's two more crazy tourists….."

The snow flurries stopped just as we finished crossing the bridge (of course) and I shook off the snow that had accumulated on my shoulders and head…shaking like some bear awakening from slumber.

We headed back towards the apartment on Grønnegata.

As we walked past Bardus, where we had a late lunch the day before, we saw this striking building to our right and decided to take a look.

The building is the Kongsbakken Upper Secondary School and that area in front of it Kongeparken (Royal Park).

For some reason, the statue of King Olav V seemed dark and brooding, staring at us. It kind of creeped us out.

We walked along the street named Verstregata where I noticed that the view looked really nice near some apartments. We then noticed that there were some stairs leading to an outdoor area. We enjoyed the view of the city from here.

Worried that we might be trespassing, we quickly took photos and headed back to the street.

Heading back down to Grønnegata and decided to make dinner reservations at Mathallen which was literally one block from our apartment. We'd be taking things easy this evening.

After making our reservations, we decided on getting lunch from Mathallen's Deli which was right next door. For some reason, the cold really dampened our appetite.

We got the Baked Cod and Creamed Fish Soup.

Of course the fish was very good, fresh, moist….though fairly bland overall.

We actually enjoyed the potatoes.

I wasn't sure what the Creamed Fish Soup was going to be like; but this was very good. Not too thick, fairly light, yet hearty.

The fish was very tender; the vegetables, especially the celeriac were delicious. I'm not a big fan of cream soup, but this was just right…..warming and hearty and quite good with bread.

Mathallen Delikatesser
Grønnegata 58-60
Tromsø, Norway

A very nice pre-nap meal.

Thanks for reading!